Concise designs and modest pricing has always been the hallmark of Nomos watches. Well made, but not lavishly so, Nomos watches are usually affordable. While the new Lambda and Lux still have the simple aesthetics typical of Nomos, they feature movements with elaborate decoration, gold cases – and corresponding prices.

Both use in-house DUW calibres, which stands for “Deutsche Uhrenwerke NOMOS Glashütte”, the appellation given to the line of high-end Nomos movements. But the DUW movements are not new, rather they are based on the Wempe Chronometerwerke calibres built by Nomos for the German retailer, unveiled in 2006.

At 42 mm wide, the round Lambda is larger than the average Nomos, but no less elegant at just 8.9 mm high. It is available in rose or white gold, with a silver-plated dial.

A largish, 14 ¼ lignes (32 mm) movement, the hand-finished DUW 1001 features most of the elements now associated with German watchmaking, like the solid gold chatons secured by blued steel screws and a three-quarter plate (in rhodiumed brass) decorated with sunray striping. Naturally the balance cock has a swan neck regulator, and is hand-engraved with “Mit Liebe in Glashütte gefertigt”, meaning  “lovingly produced in Glashütte”.

Equipped with twin barrels, the DUW 1001 has an 84 hour power reserve, equivalent to just over three days. The remaining power is displayed on the large power reserve indicator on the dial.

The tonneau-shaped Nomos Lux, available only in white gold, measures 40.5 mm by 36 mm. It is available with either a silver or pale blue dial.

Inside is the DUW 2002 calibre, which is mechanically similar to the DUW 1001, save for two things, the DUW 2002 is tonneau-shaped and lacks a power reserve indicator. Both calibres appear to share the same basic construction.

Both the Lambda and Lux are delivered on Horween shell cordovan straps with gold pin buckles. The price is several orders of magnitude higher than the average Nomos, which sells for US$2000 or so. The Lambda in rose gold is US$17,800, and in white gold it is US$18,800. And the Nomos Lux in white gold is US$20,500, in either dial colour.

The pricing is steep and way out of the segment where Nomos competes well. In addition, the comparable Wempe Chronometerwerke in gold, with an identical but less finely decorated movement, retails for €8450 (~US$11,700). Well made as these are, the value proposition is less compelling than for the typical Nomos timepiece.